Posts by Sara Szal MD
Why Can’t I Lose Weight and Keep It Off? (Hint: It’s Not Your Fault)
Have you tried every diet imaginable, and still find it hard to lose weight? Or maybe you lose weight, only to gain it back within a few months? Chances are your metabolism is broken. A broken metabolism is intertwined with what I call hormone misfires, which make you store fat no matter what diet you…
Read MoreDetoxification: Your Questions Answered
What does detox mean, in a nutshell? Detox is nutrient rehab. Detoxing means cleaning out the body, removing toxins, clearing out your jammed hormone receptors, and resetting key hormones. Most simply, detox is a tool of functional medicine: remove the obstacles to radical health, and add in the factors that support you. We accumulate junk…
Read More30-Day Challenge: The ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO RESET YOUR HORMONES
I am often asked: What’s the ONE THING that will fix my hormones as fast as possible? My answer is to drink a green protein shake every day until your hormones are back on track, which usually takes 30 days, or longer depending on severity. Since you’re reading this article, I will assume your hormones…
Read More5 FAQs on Hormones and Weight Loss Resistance
What happens in the body regarding weight gain and loss when estrogen and progesterone are out of balance? Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. It gives women hips and breasts, buffers mood, and keeps you on task by regulating serotonin. Estrogen is responsible for the first half of your menstrual cycle, it boosts sex…
Read MoreProject Peanut Butter: Help Us Address Childhood Malnutrition with the Dutasi Documentary Project
I’m grateful for your support of my work, online courses, and books, and want to devote this article to describe a mission that means so much to me. If you appreciate our work here at Gottfried Institute, I ask that you show your support by considering a small donation to Project Peanut Butter.
Read MoreWhat Is Cortisol And How Can You Manage It?
At a basic level, what is cortisol’s role in the body? Cortisol is the hormone that governs your digestion, hunger cravings, digestion, sleep/wake patterns, blood pressure, physical activity, and your capacity to cope with stress. Cortisol is the main stress hormone and is released when you’re in a fight with your partner or mom or…
Read MoreWhat To Eat When Your Main Hormone Levels Are Too High
When in balance, your hormones are like text messages in your body from a wise mentor. Each hormone sends a “do this” or “do that” task to specific cells all across your body in an effort to create homeostasis. You’ll feel this balance as a full head of hair, strong nails, clear skin, stable mood and weight,…
Read MoreThe Natural Sleep Cure: How to Get Restful, Rejuvenating Sleep Without Popping a Sleeping Pill
We’re all aware of the common breakfast cereal commercials that show a bowlful of bran flakes with milk, topped with banana slices, with a side glass of orange juice, accompanied by the phrase, “Part of a balanced breakfast!” Instead of claiming such a breakfast starts your day energized, I wish to replace that image with…
Read MoreCortisol & Cancer: How Lowering Stress Can Help Prevent Cancer
Every week on the news, online, in a magazine, we hear or read about the ever-elusive “cure for cancer.” So far, it’s still a far-off medical goal. While I think it’s important for us to keep researching treatment options for all the men and women affected by cancer, I also want people to focus on…
Read MoreHow Wild Alaskan Salmon Rocked My Locks and Transformed My Life
It’s August, 1989. Something weird and wonderful is happening en route to Harvard Medical School, and it’s not just the music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. My hair is astonishingly full, thick, and shiny even though I haven’t used “product” on it for the entire summer. My nails are curiously strong.
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